Pair of ski poles

ABSTRACT

Each ski pole of the pair comprises a tubular shaft, which has an upper portion carrying a handle and a lower portion carrying a snowhead. The handles as well as the snowheads have an extension or a recess by which the two poles can be detachably interconnected. The snowheads are symmetrically mounted on the respective tubular shafts in such a manner that part of the periphery of each snowhead is close to the associated tubular shaft and the adjacent portion of each snowhead is designed so that the two snowheads can be hooked one into the other in the longitudinal direction of the tubular shafts. Above said portion the handle of that ski pole whose snowhead has been hooked in from above is provided with a connecting element which engages at least from below the connecting element of the handle of the other ski pole to prevent a longitudinal movement of the ski poles relative to each other.

United States Patent 1191 Marker PAIR OF SKI POLES [76] Inventor: Hannes Marker, I-lauptstrasse 51-53, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany [22] Filed: Feb. 6, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 439,973

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Feb. 9, 1973 Austria 1201/73 52 us. 01. 2811/1137 B, 280/1 1.37 A [51] Int. c1. A63c 11/22 [58] Field of Search 280/11.37 B, 11.37 D,

280/1l.37 H, 11.37 L, 11.37 F, 11.37 N, 11.37 z, 11.37 P,-11.37 E, 11.37 A, 11.37 K, 11.37 R

4/1903 Norway 280/11.37 N 5/1970 Switzerland 280/11.37 H

Primary ExaminerDavid Schonberg Assistant Examiner-Milton L. Smith Attorney, Agent, or FirmF1eit & Jacobson 5 7 ABSTRACT Each ski pole of the pair comprises a tubular shaft, which has an upper portion carrying a handle and a lower portion carrying a snowhead. The handles as well as the snowheads have an extension or a recess by which the two poles can be detachably interconnected. The snowheads are symmetrically mounted on the respective tubular shafts in such a manner that part of the periphery of each snowhead is close to the associated tubular shaft and the adjacent portion of each snowhead is designed so that the two snowheads can be hooked one into the other in the longitudinal direction of the tubular shafts. Above said portion the handle of that ski pole whose snowhead has been hooked in from above is provided with a connecting element which engages at least from below the connecting element of the handle'of the other ski pole to prevent a longitudinal movement of the ski poles relative to each other.

3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures PAIR OF SKI POLES The present invention relates to a pair of ski poles, each of which comprises a tubular shaft, which has an upper portion carrying a handle and a lower portion carrying a snowhead, the handles as well as the snowheads having an extension or a recess by which the two poles can be detachably interconnected.

Compared to other known pairs of ski poles, this known pair of ski poles have the advantage that the two poles can be detachably interconnected at both ends so that the poles can be handled in this state whereas an unintended movement of the two poles relative to each other is virtually prevented.

in the above-mentioned pair of ski poles, the two handles are arranged to be interconnected as by snap fasteners and one snowhead is provided near the associated tubular shaft with an opening in which the pointed end of the other pole can be fitted; the snowhead of said other pole has a radial recess, which has an open outer end and an inner end which terminates near the tubular shaft.

It is an object of the present invention to simplify that pair of ski poles from the manufacturing aspect and to design it so that it can be handled more easily.

In a pair ofski poles, each of which comprises a tubular shaft, which has an upper portioncarrying a handle and a lower portion carrying a snowhead, the handles as well as the snowheads having an extension or a recess by which the two poles can be detachably interconnected, this object is accomplished according to the invention in that the snowheads protrude on one side only slightly from the tubular shaft and are provided each on that side with a hook, which enables the two snowheads to be hooked together in the longitudinal direction of the tubular shafts, that the handle of that ski pole whose snowhead has been hooked in from above is provided with a connecting element which locks the handle of the other ski pole, and the latter ski pole, against a downward movement, and that when the handles are interconnected the hooked interengagement of the snowheads can be eliminated in that the longitudinal-elasticity of the ski pole having the snowhead which is hooked in from above is overcome. This enables, e.g.', the provision of both poles with identical snowheads, provided that they are mounted in positions in which they are angularly offset 180 from each other.

It has been found to be suitable to provide the'handles with connecting elements which consist also of hooks, to provide an upwardly open hook on the handle of the ski pole whose snowhead has a downwardly open hook, and to provide a downwardly open hook on the handle of the ski pole whose snowhead has an up wardly open hook.

The snowheads have in a top plan view generally the configuration of a circle from which a segment has been removed.

An embodiment of the invention will be described more fully and by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which FIG. 1 is a side elevation showing a pair of ski poles with the snowheads shown in section, and

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 11-11 in FIG. 1.

Each of the poles 1, 2 of a pair comprises a tubular shaft 3, which has an upper portion carrying a handle 4 or 5, and a lower portion carrying a snowhead 6 or 7. When the ski poles are stowed away or in transit, they are detachably interconnected. For this purpose, the snowheads are designed to protrude on one side only slightly from the tubular shaft 3 and on this side are provided each with a hook 8 or 9, which enables a hooked interengagement of the two snowheads 6, 7 in the longitudinal direction of the tubular shaft.

In the present case, the handles are provided with connecting elements consisting also of hooks 10, 11. The handle 5 of that ski pole 2 which has a snowhead 7 provided with the downwardly open book 9 is provided with an upwardly open hook. The hook 10 of the handle 4 of the ski pole l is downwardly open. With this design, the hooked interengagement of the snowheads 6, 7 can be eliminated in that the longitudinal elasticity of the ski pole 2 is overcome when the handles 4, 5 are interconnected. The longitudinal elasticity of the ski pole 2 is also overcome to establish the hooked interengagement of the two ski poles.

Each of the snowheads 6, 7 has generally the configuration of a circle from which a segment has been removed, as is apparent from FIG. 2. A hook 8 or 9 is provided at the chord of each circle. These hooks are relatively largeso that they can be interengaged very easily. Provided that the means by which the snowhead is secured to the tubular shaft are properly designed, identical snowheads may be used for both poles if the snowheads are mounted in such positions'that they are angularly offset from each other, as is apparent from FIG. 1.

What is claimed is:

l. A pair of ski poles, each comprising a tubular shaft having an upper portion carrying a handle and a lower portion carrying a snowhead, the handles and the snowhead having interlocking connecting elements whereby the two poles can be detachably interconnected, the snowheads being asymmetrically mounted on the tubular shafts so that a portion of the periphery of each snowhead is close to the tubular shaft, said portions having the interlocking connecting elements whereby the two snowheads can be interconnected, the connecting element of the handle of one ski pole engaging the connecting element of the handle of the other ski pole from below and the connecting element of the snowhead of said one ski pole engaging the connecting element of the snowhead of said other ski pole from above to prevent a longitudinal movement of the ski poles relative to each other, and the tubular shafts being elastically deformable in length to at least the extent of the depth of interengagement of the connecting elements of the snowheads.

2. A pair of ski poles according to claim 1 wherein the connecting elements of the handles and the snowheads consist of oppositely opening hooks, the handle of the ski pole whose snowhead has a downwardly open hook being provided with an upwardly open hook, and the handle of the ski pole whose snowhead has an upwardly open hook being provided with a downwardly open hook.

3. A pair of ski poles according to claim 1 wherein the snowheads have in a top plan view approximately the configuration of a circle from which a segment has been removed and the hook is provided on the chord of said circle. 1 

1. A pair of ski poles, each comprising a tubular shaft having an upper portion carrying a handle and a lower portion carrying a snowhead, the handles and the snowhead having interlocking connecting elements whereby the two poles can be detachably interconnected, the snowheads being asymmetrically mounted on the tubular shafts so that a portion of the periphery of each snowhead is close to the tubular shaft, said portions having the interlocking connecting elements whereby the two snowheads can be interconnected, the connecting element of the handle of one ski pole engaging the connecting element of the handle of the other ski pole from below and the connecting element of the snowhead of said one ski pole engaging the connecting element of the snowhead of said other ski pole from above to prevent a longitudinal movement of the ski poles relative to each other, and the tubular shafts being elastically deformable in length to at least the extent of the depth of interengagement of the connecting elements of the snowheads.
 2. A pair of ski poles according to claim 1 wherein the connecting elements of the handles and the snowheads consist of oppositely opening hooks, the handle of the ski pole whose snowhead has a downwardly open hook being provided with an upwardly open hook, and the handle of the ski pole whose snowhead has an upwardly open hook being provided with a downwardly open hook.
 3. A pair of ski poles according to claim 1 wherein the snowheads have in a top plan view appRoximately the configuration of a circle from which a segment has been removed and the hook is provided on the chord of said circle. 